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Pain

Having rushed to hospital with 'stabbing' abdominal pain, Lianne was given a pamphlet on drug addiction

Lianne Williams is one of the many women with endometriosis who has had to fight to have medical professionals take her symptoms seriously. Clinics dedicated to treating the condition are becoming more common, but are they working?
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Lianne with Orlando on her knee

Promising new treatments for chronic low back pain should be covered by Medicare, say experts

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability but there's some big roadblocks if you want to get the best treatment, which focuses on the mind just as much as the body.
Woman holds her lower back as she sits at a desk

A 'demon' in the brain: What life with chronic pain is really like

Chronic pain is the norm for millions of Australians, but sufferers and advocates say misconceptions are rife. This is what their lives are really like.
A woman with long black hair standing expressionless in front of a curtain

'Health crisis' looming as series of pain relief opioid medications discontinued

Doctors hold growing concerns about a significant shortage of opioid pain medicines given to some of the sickest Australians.
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Kathy Claxton smiling and standing next to her two children.

Tennis elbow treatment trial successes offer hope for sufferers wary of surgery

With surgery only offering 50 to 80 per cent chance of success, much improved data is now in on an Australian-made treatment using patients' own cells, giving hope to people with complex tennis elbow cases.
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A woman uses as ice pick to climb a steep icy ledge

Haylee's severe endometriosis means she needs a hysterectomy. But first, she's giving motherhood a shot

Within the next few years, 24-year-old Haylee will undergo a hysterectomy to solve her chronic pain. But first, she is giving pregnancy one last shot.
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Woman smiles weakly at the camera.

'We don't look sick': Megan wants others to know what it's like living with chronic pain

It's estimated one in five Australians live with chronic pain and lobby group Painaustralia is calling for more Medicare-funded allied health visits for those living with the condition.
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Woman wearing pink pyjamas in a hospital bed with a drip in her arm.

As opioids continue to dominate fatal drug overdoses in Australia, the threat of fentanyl taking hold remains

While the role of opioids in the deaths of thousands of Australians who die of drug overdoses has remained relatively stable, there are concerns the presence of potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl may ramp up.
Xanax pills generic

Nine signs you have chronic inflammation in your body

In the short-term, inflammation is a sign your body is healing. But persistent levels of inflammation in blood and tissue — called "inflammaging" — is linked to disease, write Lauren Ball and Emily Burch.
Woman curled up with hands over abdomen

Be wary of sucking your stomach in all the time — you could end up with hourglass syndrome

Over time, sucking in your stomach can lead to hourglass syndrome, a condition that can cause changes in the appearance of the stomach — and may also affect other parts of the body, writes Adam Taylor.
A close up photo of a woman in elasticated waist pants holding her hands on her stomach

Key drug for palliative care patients in acute pain to be discontinued

The sole distributor of Ordine in Australia will stop supplying the liquid morphine in December, but palliative care professionals say their patients cannot do without it. 
A liquid dropper is pulled out of a small brown glass bottle.

Giles was prescribed opioids for his back pain. A new study suggests the drugs were pointless

Australian researchers call for an end to the use of opioids to treat acute back and neck pain after finding they are no more effective than a placebo.
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Giles sits cross-legged on the floor of his apartment. He uses one hand to push his head towards his shoulder.

More Australians are using medicinal cannabis than ever before. Is it effective for pain, and is it legal to take?

Lauren Jackson was granted an exemption to take medicinal cannabis when she made a fairytale comeback to basketball. But its use — both within and outside sport — remains stigmatised while Australia's laws are difficult to understand and navigate.
Composite image of Lauren Jackson, basketball and marijuana plants

How a tree that causes excruciating pain could provide promise for chronic pain sufferers

The agony caused by brushing against the notorious Gympie-Gympie tree can last for months, but researchers think its toxins may one day provide relief to chronic pain sufferers.
A close-up of the sharp hairs on the leaf.

Leah needs pain relief medication every four hours but that's too much of an ask for aged care homes

There are fears a shortage of nurses in aged care is having an impact on residents being able to access medication, with one nurse claiming it is resulting in proper procedures not being followed.
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A woman sits on her bed with a dog on her lap.

Travelling artist brightens country towns with murals

Despite decades of chronic pain Deborah Parker is living her dream, travelling through regional Australia and painting, teaching art to others with a disability. Produced by Wiriya Sati.
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 35 seconds

Meet the bodybuilder with no hands or feet changing perceptions of disability

Vanessa Calafiore started Pilates to help with chronic pain that comes with a limb deficiency. What it turned into was a love for bodybuilding, fitness and an awe-inspiring story.
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Woman in a green bikini competes in a body building fitness competition on stage. She has no hands. A second woman stands in

One insect has the most painful sting in Australia, and this scientist knows firsthand

Sam Robinson is a scientist who gets stung in the name of understanding pain. And he's rated the pain from bites and stings by some Aussie animals and plants.
A black and white image of a man in a lab coat

Women are in pain. This is why they struggle to get help

Assistant Minister for Health Ged Kearney will chair the new National Women's Health Council, which will address the range of poorer health outcomes women experience comparative to men.
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A woman lies on the couch with one hand on her head and another on her lower abdomen

What are ovarian cysts and what symptoms should you look for?

Ovarian cysts are typically harmless but for some women they can cause painful symptoms, threaten fertility and in rare cases become cancerous. Reporter Rebecca Opie speaks with gynaecologist Sally Reid to break down the different types of cysts, the symptoms to look out for, and when to seek medical attention. 
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A diagram showing a uterus with fallopian tubes and an enlarged circular shape on one side

Lily lost an ovary to a cyst the size of a grapefruit, she wants others to know the warning signs

When she was 12, Lily Bratchell lost her right ovary to a large complex cyst after initially being misdiagnosed with appendicitis. She hopes sharing her story will save others the pain and give them time to protect their fertility. 
A young woman looks off to the side, her expression is neutral

These VR headsets could help people become virtually pain-free, science suggests

Commercially available virtual reality headsets and handsets might be able to help doctors and physiotherapists treat one of society's most debilitating health problems: chronic pain.
A physiotherapist films a patient wearing a VR unit.

Stevey was told inserting this tiny device would only be 'uncomfortable'. She almost passed out

IUDs are one of the most effective forms of contraception, but for some women getting one inserted can be excruciating. Here's why — and what can be done to make it less painful.
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A woman with colourful tattoos on her arms leans on a railing and stares into the distance. A pool & palm trees are behind her.

Catherine was fit, but struggled when she took up AFL. Here's what exercise-curious adults should know

Joining a Masters sports team brings a wealth of benefits, but without proper prep, you can quickly end up injured. So how can you play without sidelining yourself for the season?
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A woman in a red, white and blue top catching a football in front of another women in a blue and yellow top

Jane grows her own cannabis to treat her pain, but she doesn't always know what chemicals are in it

With cannabis now decriminalised for personal use in the ACT, there are growing calls by health professionals to examine which varieties of plants are being grown and how Canberrans are using them.
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A closeup of a cannabis plant.